The secretary-general of the PS today considered that changing the logo should not have been a priority for the new government, claiming that it is a minor decision that does not affect people’s lives.
“It shouldn’t have been a priority, because it’s obviously minor and doesn’t affect the lives of the Portuguese,” said Pedro Nuno Santos, in Portimão, Algarve.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the European Socialist Party at the Committee of the Regions, which is taking place in Portimão, the Socialist leader refused to “focus attention and political discourse on the logo, because that would be playing the same game” as the Democratic Alliance (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), which supports the government.
According to Pedro Nuno Santos, the PS has never questioned respect for national symbols, “because it takes the defense of the country and national identity seriously”.
“We don’t confuse that with a government administrative logo,” he stressed.
Asked about the composition of the new government led by Luís Montenegro, the PS secretary-general refused “to comment on people”, saying that “what matters are the policies” to govern the country, on employment, housing and the resolution of public services.
“I wish good work to those who have taken office and those who will take office. I’m not an analyst and I don’t comment on the Prime Minister’s choices, because I’m only concerned with the answers that need to be given to the people,” he said.
Pedro Nuno Santos recalled that the PS “has different visions of what needs to be done in the country”, with its “attention focused on the field of political ideas”.
“We’re going to act, presenting our proposals and trying to show that some of the answers the right-wing wants to give the country are the wrong answers,” he stressed.
The Socialist leader said that “there is a lot to do, and the PS wants to present and discuss with the country solutions to solve the problems that persist, because families and workers still have many problems”.
“What we think is that the right-wing solutions are the wrong solutions and won’t solve the problems of our people,” he said.
Asked about Chega’s announcement that he intends to set up a parliamentary committee to investigate the case of the Portuguese-Brazilian twins treated with the drug Zolgesma in the National Health Service, Pedro Nuno Santos said only that “this is a very serious matter and one that the PS will follow up”.
“It’s a very serious matter that needs to be clarified. There are investigations underway and it will obviously be an issue that the PS will follow up,” he noted.
For the Socialist leader, “it is very important that the Portuguese people have confidence in the institutions, in the public services, in the state and confidence that there is fair access to public services”.
“When the time is right, the PS parliamentary group will decide what it will do with regard to the initiatives that are emerging in parliament. The issue is relevant to us, so that all citizens have confidence and know that there is no favoritism for anyone,” he concluded.
The PS secretary-general took part today in the opening session of the annual meeting of the European Socialist Party at the Committee of the Regions, which is being held in Portimão, with the central theme being housing, a problem that cuts across Europe.
MEPs want affordable social housing to be a priority in the new European mandate.
